CRISPR & Diagnostics

It would be beneficial to develop commercial diagnostics without the need for expensive lab instruments by using Crispr’s programmable gene-seeking capabilities to pick up bits of foreign genetic material—from a virus, bacteria, or fungus—circulating in a sick person’s bodily fluids, and deliver those results via something that looks like a pregnancy test. Tests made with disposable paper strips are cheap and can go into the field or into people’s homes, greatly expanding their reach. This summer, the FDA authorized two Crispr-based tests, both for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Boston-based (Sherlock Biosciences, May, and the Bay Area’s Mammoth Biosciences, August). It marked the first time the FDA has allowed a Crispr-based diagnostic tool to be used on patients. The tests still need to be analyzed in a lab, but they are faster than the standard method for detecting SARS-CoV-2, called PCR.